Quentin Willson (born 23 July 1957) is an English TV presenter, motoring journalist, author, TV producer and former car dealer, perhaps most widely known as a presenter of the motoring programmes Britain's Worst Driver, Fifth Gear, and the original incarnation of Top Gear. He lives in Warwickshire with his wife and three children.

Willson joined the BBC in 1991 to co-host the original version of Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson. Until the original format's cancellation in 2001, he appeared every week on the programme, typically as an expert on used cars.

Willson later presented his own produced classic car series The Car's the Star, along with the first property show to talk about money, All The Right Moves, both for the BBC.

After Top Gear's cancellation, he left the BBC to present Channel 5's rival motoring programme, Fifth Gear. When Top Gear was relaunched, Willson said of Clarkson that "It's a compliment that the BBC are so afraid of losing ratings to us, they've lured my old co-host out of semi-retirement."[2]

While at Channel 5, Willson created the Britain's Worst Driver format, which was nominated for best reality show in the Montreux Golden Rose Awards.[citation needed] A raft of similar shows followed, including Britain's Worst DIYer, "Worst Farmer", Worst Mother in Law, Worst Husband, Worst Teenager, Worst Builder, Worst Zookeeper, and Worst FIFA 2002 Player. After Willson's appearances on Britain’s Worst series, comedian Harry Hill dressed up as him and announced: "I used to be on Top Gear, now I’m on Channel 5. Welcome to Britain’s Worst Career Move".[3] Wilson stopped presenting Fifth Gear in 2005.

Willson also participated in the 2004 series of Strictly Come Dancing, but ignominiously got the lowest score ever on the show with his one and only dance before being voted off. Willson still holds the record for lowest score ever on Strictly with a grand total of eight out of a possible 40 points. Judge Craig Revel Horwood described Willson as "Britain's Worst Dancer".[4]

On 12 January 2009, and again on 4 December 2010, he appeared on BBC One's Breakfast programme giving advice on snow driving and which cars are better suited.[citation needed] On 5 April 2012, he once again appeared on BBC Breakfast talking about the Highway Code.[5] He also regularly features on the ITV breakfast show Daybreak, when there are motoring related features.

In the 1990s, both in print and on television, Willson highlighted the artificially higher prices of new cars in the UK compared to Europe, campaigning for price parity for UK buyers. He is widely credited for drawing attention to uncompetitive pricing by the car makers which prompted the European Commission to take action and use block exemption regulations to force the industry to reduce UK list prices on new passenger cars.[6]

Since early 2011, Willson has been the national spokesman for FairFuelUK campaigning for lower government fuel duty.[7] Since March 2011, Willson and the FairFuelUK Team have successfully pressured the UK government to defer 11p of duty rises, reducing the overall tax take by £5.5 billion in fuel duty. His campaigning has appeared on BBC Breakfast, Radio 5 Live, Newsnight, Channel 5 News, Channel 4 News, The Sun, Times, Telegraph, Mail and other national newspapers. The House of Commons Back Bench Committee allowed Willson to be present in the House at a Commons fuel duty debate in 2011.[7]

Quentin Willson is a consultant to many organisations and companies including the car warranty company Warrantywise.[8] Wilson is also a former consultant to BP,[9][10] BSI (British Safety Institute) and Castrol Oil in 2008–10.[11] He is also a regular face on the conference and after dinner speaking circuit.[12]
Quentin has been at the forefront of raising awareness about the dangers of buying stolen cars,[13] fronting the 'Real or Rogue' campaign in March 2009. He also appears in promotional videos on the website for Store First, a self-storage company seeking investors but currently the subject of a BBC investigation into concerns expressed by those investors.[14][15]